The present invention relates to exercise equipment and more particularly to exercise equipment which can be used in a motor vehicle by both drivers and passengers.
A large number of people spend a great deal of time seated in motor vehicles in pursuit of their employment. For example, truck drivers spend all of their work day seated in a tractor of a tractor-trailer combination. Also, most people commute to their place of employment by using passenger automobiles.
In view of the large amount of time that people spend operating and traveling in vehicles it would be useful to provide equipment that would allow such travelers the ability to exercise during the time that the vehicle is being operated. It also would be useful for that exercise equipment to allow the vehicle operator to control the vehicle in an otherwise normal manner while still providing a reasonable level of beneficial exercise.
Almost all present day vehicles are equipped with safety belts to restrain movement of operators and passengers in the event of an impact such as that experienced in collisions and accidents. Such belts are usually in the form of lap belts which restrain movement and shoulder belts which permit limited movement until there is rapid deceleration of the vehicle upon impact in a collision.
Although operators and passengers of vehicles are restricted in their movement, it is highly desirable to afford some form of physical exercise without impairing the operation of the safety equipment such as the safety belts and harness.
The present invention is an exercise device that provides resistance to the operator""s normal physical motions without impairing operating safety and thus allows the operator to receive physical exercise while operating the vehicle.
It is an object of the invention to provide exercise equipment for use by a person seated in a motor vehicle using the safety belt or harness equipment with which the vehicle is typically equipped without impairing the operation and effectiveness of such safety equipment.
Another object of the invention is to provide exercise equipment which can be used in conjunction with the use of the safety belt and safety harness equipment in a motor vehicle which offer""s resilient resistance to the limited movement that the safety belt equipment affords without impairing the use of the safety equipment.
Another object of the invention is to provide exercise equipment in the form of a belt assembly which can be used simultaneously with the wearing of safety harness and seat belts in motor vehicles.
These and other objects of the invention are attained by exercise equipment to be used by persons seated in the motor vehicle equipped with a safety belt harness in which the exercise equipment incorporates an elongated resistance member which resiliently resists elongation. The opposite ends of the resistance member is provided with support or link elements which are connected to opposite ends of the resistance member and also to a pair of tie straps or belts. The pair of tie straps are adjustable in length and have their opposite ends connected to the link elements on the resistance member and to the anchor points which secure the safety belt or harness to the vehicle. The pair of tie straps act to support the resistance member in a diagonal position across the chest of the driver or passenger so that a person seated in a vehicle and wearing safety harness can move against the resistance of the resistance member. The resistance to the operator""s normal physical movement, thus allows the operator and passengers of vehicles to achieve physical exercise without impairing the person""s normal range of movement.